In the Hokage's office, Tsunade sat behind her desk, deeply unsettled. She stared at the confiscated forehead protector in her hand, a wave of regret washing over her. It was Sakura's. Yesterday, she should have listened to her explanation. Instead, focused only on punishment, she had taken the protector away in a fit of anger.
"Shizune!" Tsunade called out suddenly.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" Shizune, holding Tonton, immediately responded from nearby.
"The Shadow Clone she left at the hospital—it disappeared?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes. It was still there this morning, but when I went back later, it was gone. Only a few ANBU operatives were present at the scene," Shizune recalled.
"Have the autopsy results for Ryuta's men come back yet?" Tsunade continued. "Don't miss any details."
Shizune scratched her head, looking troubled. "They came back... but the situation is very bad, Lady Tsunade. Their cause of death was also poisoning, and the toxin identified is exactly the same as the one found in the hospital patient who accused Sakura. And that poison... it's one of the ones I taught her how to make."
Tsunade leaned back heavily in her chair, utterly exhausted. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and murmured, "Why must she be so troublesome..."
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune asked, her voice laced with concern. "Will she be alright?"
"I don't know," Tsunade replied wearily, eyes still closed. "My attempts to defend her earlier already drew the Council's displeasure. If the old man hadn't stepped in to mediate, I wouldn't have let them interfere in this matter at all."
Shizune looked at Tsunade with sympathy. Before becoming Hokage, Lady Tsunade hadn't needed to worry about such complex burdens. Now, she constantly faced difficult situations. Shizune knew the Council elders and the Third Hokage genuinely wanted to resolve this. The advisors likely intervened directly because the suspect was the current Hokage's student, wanting to prevent perceived mistakes like those made during the Third's era. The Third Hokage had agreed. Shizune wasn't worried about those three; she trusted they would strive for fairness. But Danzo... Danzo made her uneasy.
Lady Tsunade's main worry right now must be Danzo, Shizune thought. But with the Third Hokage involved, surely Danzo won't have a chance to cause trouble?
"Lady Tsunade," Shizune began tentatively, "do you think this incident... and Danzo..."
"Until I see her, it's all speculation. Don't say any more, Shizune. We'll analyze everything after she returns," Tsunade interrupted. The timeframe was too short; although Tsunade had her suspicions, there was currently no concrete evidence pointing towards Danzo.
"Yes, ma'am."
Silence descended upon the room again, broken moments later by a knock on the door.
"Enter," Tsunade called out.
An ANBU operative wearing a mask entered. Seeing him, a flicker of anticipation lit Tsunade's eyes. "What are the investigation results?" she asked immediately.
"Yes, Lady Hokage," the ANBU reported after a formal bow. "The deceased is Keita Taniichi. Witnesses saw him meeting with Haruno Sakura on the commercial street prior to the incident. Haruno Sakura reportedly left first. Keita was subsequently found with both hands and his right foot severed. The preliminary conclusion is that Haruno Sakura is responsible."
"Do we know why she did it?" Tsunade asked, keeping her voice carefully neutral.
"The exact cause is unclear. However, Keita was a major landlord in the commercial district. Based on my assessment, it's likely a conflict arose during negotiations over rent," the ANBU speculated.
"Wait, Lady Tsunade," Shizune interjected suddenly. "Sakura mentioned to me she wanted to rent a storefront to open a beef shop. This might be related to that."
"Rent a storefront?" Tsunade looked surprised, then turned back to the ANBU. "Did you investigate Keita and this Taniichi clan? What kind of family are they?"
"I did," the ANBU confirmed, producing a scroll and tossing it to Tsunade. "The Taniichi clan is documented in our Uchiha clan records."
"It seems the Third Hokage's training for you still requires some work, Sasuke," Tsunade remarked, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the ANBU operative while catching the scroll.
The ANBU ripped off his mask. "Aren't you her master?!" Sasuke demanded heatedly. "Aren't you the Hokage?! How can you not even handle something like this properly?!"
"You will not speak to Lady Tsunade like that!" Shizune immediately rebuked him.
Tsunade waved a hand, silencing Shizune before looking calmly at Sasuke. "I understand how you feel. So, if you want to clear her name quickly, don't be impulsive. This situation is complicated."
"From what I know, Lady Hokage seems to have been excluded from handling this matter," Sasuke pointed out bitterly.
"Precisely. Which is why I assigned you to investigate," Tsunade stated. "ANBU reports directly to the Hokage. The Third Hokage is retired and has no authority to command ANBU. The operatives currently pursuing this case were authorized for Council use by me. What I'm about to tell you now is classified. Only you are to know this, understand?"
"Yes," Sasuke affirmed.
"I need you to closely monitor one person," Tsunade said after a moment's thought. "Ryuta."
"Who is he?" Sasuke asked, slightly taken aback.
"Didn't you investigate the Taniichi clan? He's Keita's younger brother, and the Captain of Konoha's Patrol Team," Tsunade explained. "He sought out Sakura last night for unknown reasons. This afternoon, he confronted Sakura with his men, after which his subordinates were found dead from poisoning. Monitor him closely. He's the most likely point where we can break this case open."
"Understood," Sasuke nodded.
"Don't miss a single detail," Tsunade stressed.
After Sasuke left, quiet returned to the office. Shizune asked perplexedly, "Why not have him monitor Danzo directly?"
"That old fox won't be monitored so easily. Let's gather information from Ryuta first," Tsunade replied, then frowned. "Hasn't Sakura been apprehended yet? If she's not being foolish, she should be cooperating."
As Tsunade said this, a sudden sense of unease prickled at her. Could something else have happened? Just then, another knock sounded at the office door.
"Enter," Tsunade said, suppressing her anxiety.
The door burst open, and another ANBU operative entered, immediately dropping to one knee. "Lady Hokage!" he reported urgently, words tumbling out quickly. "Haruno Sakura has killed all four ANBU members sent to apprehend her! There were no remains left! The Third Squad is currently in pursuit!"
Tsunade shot to her feet, shock rendering her momentarily speechless. "What did you say?!" she demanded, her voice trembling slightly. "Say that again!"
"Haruno Sakura has killed four ANBU members, disregarding village regulations. She is now classified as a missing-nin, with an A-rank bounty."
Homura Mitokado's voice preceded him as he entered the office, followed closely by Koharu Utatane and the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen's expression was grave. Entering the office, he addressed Tsunade in a heavy tone. "I'm sorry, Tsunade. I never expected things to escalate to this point."
Tsunade remained silent for a moment, her jaw clenched tightly. Then, she walked directly up to the Third Hokage, grabbing him by the collar of his robes, her eyes blazing. "This is how you handle things?! This is the guarantee you gave me?!"
"Lady Tsunade!" "Tsunade!" "Tsunade!"
Hiruzen looked into Tsunade's furious eyes without speaking, silently closing his own. When he opened them again, tears tracked down his aged face. His voice was old and hoarse. "I understand how you feel. I have experienced this kind of loss once before."
"No!!!" Tsunade roared, shaking him slightly. "You haven't! She's not like Orochimaru! She was framed! She didn't betray the village! Danzo forced her into this corner!"
"Watch your words, Tsunade!" Koharu snapped sharply.
Tsunade released Hiruzen, turning her fury on Koharu. "Am I wrong?! Right before I took office, Danzo colluded with Suna shinobi to assassinate me! The body of that assassin is still lying in the village morgue!"
"Tsunade," Homura interjected sternly. "While Danzo may have engaged in questionable activities in the past, his fundamental motivation has always been the village's welfare. He would never act against Konoha's interests. Do not slander an elder who has contributed so much."
"So, according to you, anything can be sacrificed for the 'village's benefit'?" Tsunade shot back contemptuously.
"Naturally. The village's interests are paramount," Homura nodded, stating it as an obvious truth.
"Then tell me!" Tsunade demanded bitterly. "What exactly did Sakura do to harm the village's interests that made Danzo decide she was expendable?! My student!"
"Don't play word games," Koharu cut in dismissively. "You have no proof linking Danzo to the assassination attempt or this current incident. Even as Hokage, you cannot make baseless accusations. Our focus now should be on apprehending Haruno Sakura. As your apprentice, she possesses sensitive knowledge. Her potential defection represents a significant loss to the village."
"Issue the mission order: Apprehend Haruno Sakura," Homura stated firmly. "We trust you will prioritize the village's security over personal sentiment. While we deeply regret the loss of such a talented shinobi, the tragedy of Orochimaru must absolutely not be repeated."
The Third Hokage looked as if he wanted to intervene, but the mention of Orochimaru silenced him. After a moment, he stepped forward and sighed heavily, looking at Tsunade. "Regardless of anything else, we must find her first. Issue the order, Tsunade."
Shizune watched with growing anxiety as the Third Hokage and the two elders relentlessly pressed Tsunade. Normally, Lady Tsunade would have flipped the table by now. But instead, she just stood there, head bowed, silent. Shizune worried that bottling up her anger would lead to an even more violent explosion later. But after a tense moment, the anticipated storm didn't break.
"Understood," Tsunade finally said, her voice tight with suppressed emotion. "Shizune, assemble all available Jonin." She paused, then added, "Is Kakashi currently available?"
"Kakashi... let me see..." Shizune quickly consulted the ninja mission roster.
"I advise against including Kakashi on this mission," Koharu stated immediately. "Kakashi was Haruno Sakura's supervising Jonin. In order to avoid..."
"Are you questioning Kakashi's loyalty to this village?!" Tsunade interrupted sharply, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"That is..." Koharu faltered.
"Found it! Kakashi currently has no active mission!" Shizune announced.
"Assemble all available Jonin into pursuit teams to apprehend Haruno Sakura," Tsunade ordered formally. "Additionally, mobilize Chunin and Genin squads for preliminary search patterns and rear interception!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Shizune confirmed, then hurried out of the office towards the communications room.
Homura and Koharu nodded in approval. "Since you've made the arrangements, we'll leave it at that for now," Homura said. "We trust you understand the gravity of the situation."
With that, the two elders exited the office. Now that the Hokage had issued the order, all they could do was wait for the outcome.
The Third Hokage looked at Tsunade, who was now leaning heavily on her desk, head in her hands. He opened his mouth, then closed it, ultimately just letting out a long, weary sigh.
"Sensei... why would he do this?"
Just as Hiruzen turned to leave the office as well, Tsunade spoke suddenly, her voice low.
"That... I don't know. She... I saw her potential back then, sent her to you..." Hiruzen began, but Tsunade cut him off.
"I'm talking about Danzo!" Tsunade lifted her head, her gaze boring into the Third Hokage. "Sakura is my student. I trust her completely. Sensei, don't you suspect him even a little?"
Hiruzen's lips moved, wanting to voice his own suspicions, yet he found it difficult to fully believe Danzo orchestrated the entire thing. Danzo handled Konoha's darkness, true, but Hiruzen had always trusted him because, ultimately, Danzo acted for the village's benefit. Decades of this ingrained perception were hard to shatter. He couldn't bring himself to accept it was all Danzo's conspiracy.
Perhaps... perhaps Sakura really did do something wrong, Hiruzen thought, a wave of sadness washing over him.
"Until there is proof, I hope you won't harbor such hostility towards him. He has been a reliable comrade," the Third Hokage said finally, his voice heavy with unspoken complexities.
With those words, he turned and left the office.
Tsunade watched him go, fury smoldering in her eyes. The old man is getting senile, she thought bitterly. Between the assassination attempt and now Sakura's situation, Danzo clearly had his own agenda.
...
Meanwhile, miles away, Sakura was also burning with fury as she stared at the person standing before her.
When she had realized how badly things had gone wrong back at the training grounds, Sakura decided her only option was to flee temporarily. Returning to the village now, framed to this extent, would be walking into a cage. She'd be thrown in prison immediately, or worse, subjected to a mind probe – neither option was acceptable.
Prison was out of the question. They'd seal her chakra with some secret technique, leaving her helpless. Danzo could do whatever he wanted to her then. Absolutely not.
And a mind probe? Forget it. Sakura couldn't risk exposing her true origins, her past life. For a transmigrator like her, that was a fatal blow. Mulling it over, escaping for a while to regroup and plan seemed the only viable path. She was reacting, caught in a trap; she needed to find a way to seize the initiative.
But she hadn't gotten far before she encountered a pursuer. Strangely, this pursuer hadn't attacked immediately, merely confronting her.
Then, the person had removed their mask. And Sakura's fury ignited, recognizing the face instantly – a face she would know even if it were reduced to ash.
"Danzo!!!"